Wheelbarrow



,NOV. 12, 1929. cw 1,735,527 WHEELBARBOW Filed Nov. 7, 1937 INVENTOR J. CHI/A ATTORNEY- Patented Nov. 12, 1929 JOHN CWIK, or CHICAGO, .iLLrNoIsf WHEELBAR QW" Application filed November 7, 1927. SerialN o. 231,714;

My invention relates to improvements in wheelbarrows, and-it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed. f

The invention relates particularly to that type of wheelbarrow in which an auxiliary rear wheel is provided in addition to the ordinary front wheel for relieving the operator of a portion of the load, but which is adjustable so as to support the rear end at various heights. In certain devices of the type mentioned, it is necessary to use both hands to effect the adjustment. In other devices, the adjusting mechanism is complex and not only adds to the weight but to the expense of the device. I

An object of my invention is to provide a wheelbarrow having an adjustable rear wheel which may be adjusted and locked in its adjusted position without the necessity of releasing the grip of the hands on the handles, thereby permitting the adjustament to be made while'theload is raised, as in the act of propelling the wheelbarrow.

A further object is to provide a device which is light in weight, simple in construction, positive in action, and 1s relatively 1nexpensive to manufacture.

furtherobject is to provide a device which will not at all interfere with the ordinary operation of the wheelbarrow, as, for instance, where one, after unloading the wheelbarow, returns to the loading position y l the rear between the handles, as in drawing a cart.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which the adjust-.

ment and the locking of the auxiliary wheel in its adjusted position may be almost instantly efiected.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and thenovel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which 7 Figure 1 is a side elevation of my'device,

:ulling the wheelbarrow while facing to pivotally secured to the strips 12 at therein thereto is a receptacle l 'forcarrying loads.

This may beof any suitable shape, such as that shown in the drawing. Secured to the members '1 and 2 at theirupper ends are brace members 5 and 6. These are connected at their bottoms, as shown in Figure 1, which, together with inwardly extending flanges '5? at theirbottoms,-fconstitute legs for supporting the device when atrest. A brace rod 7 is disposed between the members 6 to strengthen the device. ThefrontwheelS is a pivotally mounted at 9 between the ends of the members 1 and 2., M g

fTh'e description thus far is that of the. ordinary wheelbarrow. The "invention lies in the'provision of ana-uxiliary rear wheel 10 which is pivotally'mounted at .llfbetween" strips 12-which are carried by aslidable post" 13. Thelatte'r, as will be observed, is prefer f I ably rectangular-in cross'section and is arranged to pass through an opening 14 in the cross member3; This post is provided with a series of openings l5'extending transverselyof the longitudinal axis of the device.

' Pivotfilly secured to the brace members 6 'at' 6 are curvedlinks 16 whose inner'ends'fa're T tral ELX'lSCf-illfi auxiliary wheel 10; This per mits'the auxiliary wheel to move bodily about the point. 6 as a center and to facilitate this movement the upperportion of the post'13 is V Y .95" disposed in curved, as shown in the drawings. .A locking. arm 17 is 'slidably bearings'lS carried by the cross member 3. This locking-arm has secured to it a'collar .19, and between this collar and a similar collar 20 loosely carried by the arm 17 is a spiral spring 21. A lever 22 .is pivotally mounted at 23 on abracket 24 carried by one of the side members, such as the right-hand side member 2. This lever is pivotally-connected at 25 to 5 the end of the locking arm 17. 'In order to protect the spring and the locking arm, I pref-v erably provide a housing 26.

Frorn the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation there v10 of may be readily understood. When the Wheelbarrow is being filled, the auxiliary Wheel is designed to be in a position. just level with the bottom of thelegs, where it is held by means of the locking arm which projects 15 through one of the openings 15. l/Vhen the repent qr is eady to proceed w th his L ad, he may raise the handles. as in the ordinary mannerof propelling the wheelbarrowand y then without shifting his gripv press on they I 0 end of the lever, when the post with the auxiliary-wheel will fall down by gravity untilv it has reached the ground and the device may be Wheeled on the two wheels, thus relieving the operator o f a portion of the load.

' 25 I tuit isdesired to raise the auxiliary wheel,

' the lever is-pressed, freeing the locking arm, and then allthat is necessary is to lower the handlesv to the position desired, release the levjeli, whereupon the locking arm will spring 7 9, into; the opening at this height so that when the handles are again; raised into the ordi-- na y p ep linep s' t o he au y Wheel will. her-aised so as to permit the operation of; the deviceas in the ordinary wheelbarrow.

3 5, Itwillgbe noted that there are'no parts between the handles to. interfere with the operation, and, when the load is dumped, the operator may. reverse. his position and get-between V thehandles anddraw the wheelbarrowback ardly asacart is drawn.

I I claim: Wheelharnow comprisinga frame'having handleportions a; receptacle carried thereby, j a,front wheel, legs S6QuIedto the frame, a 4,5, post, slidably disposed, withrespect to the rem endibeinep ovid d h a p u y f Openings an auxiliary wheel carried at the lower} ne r saidipo'st, links pivotally secured to, said legs. andto lle lower end of saidpost,

9;; ilid ble. QCki g arm arrang d to enter the openings in the post,- a spring for forcing the arm towardtherpost, and a lever pivotally mounted on one of saidhandles and being pivot/ally conneetedtosaid arm for withdraw fig ing the againstlthetension of the spring to release the, p.ost,7w-he reby, the position of the auxiliary wheel withrespect to the frame may be shift-ed andthe auxiliary'wheel locked.

or-unloc'lredin its shifted position. l 6Q Signed at Chicago, in the County of'Cook, and atat-e of; Illinoisthis 27 day of October,

.JOHN CWIK- 

